Mentor versus Coach: We all win
The main difference that I learned between a coach and a mentor is the formality of coaching. A mentor is a more informal position, usually voluntary, to help guide new teachers as they navigate their first years in the classroom. A coach however, has a specific agenda centered around a district’s chosen initiative for campus improvement.
My “a-ha moment” is that a coach doesn’t necessarily have to be an expert in his teacher’s area of curriculum. While the coach does need to be an expertise in the field of teaching, he can benefit his protégé in other ways than subject area. For example, “a high school English teacher can effectively coach a middle school math teacher who is struggling with classroom management (Aguilar, 2017).” Previous to this research, I believed a coach to be subject or content specific. In other words, and English teacher would coach other English teachers.
Finding the right mentor for a teacher can make a huge difference for their success. “Many mentors are chosen initially because they are strong teachers. Being a good teacher of students, however, does not automatically mean that one will be a successful mentor of adults (Feiman-Nemser, 2001).” I experienced this in my first year of teaching; I was paired with an excellent veteran teacher, but she did not share my same teaching philosophy. Instead of nurturing my own, she sought to have mine become hers. While mentors are there to guide novices, I felt pressured to adhere to another’s point of view.
References:
Feiman-Nemser, S. (2001). Helping novices learn to teach: Lessons from an exemplary support provider. Journal of Teacher Education, 52(1), 17–30.
Jackie Wilson & Gary Bloom. (2019-2020). Mentoring versus Coaching. National Association of Secondary School Principals (Volume 20).
Aguilar. Elena (2017). What’s the Difference Between Coaching & Mentoring? Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-whats-the-difference-between-coaching- and-mentoring/2017/07
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